The Legend Of Lichenpaw: Past of Mist
by Lichenstar
Summary: Lichenpaw thought she was just an ordinary ThunderClan apprentice. But when a strange cat that only she can see starts stalking her, she begins to realize that there is something about her past that someone isn't telling her. [Delayed]
1. Prologue: The Kit

**A/N: Hello, everyone, I'm Lichenstar! After months of writing, I've actually put a story on! Hooray! -ahem- Okay, one thing to keep in mind is that this story is on the old map, not the new one that the cats moved into in Starlight. Alright, enjoy!

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**The Kit**

**Prologue**

A soft moonlight filtered through the leaves of the forest. Once, then again, the silence was broken by the hoot of an owl. Even the tall, dense trees of the forest seemed to sleep peacefully.

Suddenly, a soft rustling of ferns broke the sleepy atmosphere. Two heavily muscled cats appeared through the bushes, one coated with dark brown fur, whose amber eyes glinted in the moonlight. The other cat had a light gray coat, speckled with snow white patches. The two cats stepped into a clearing with a single fern plant in the center.

The gray cat panted heavily, her stomach was swelled so much it brushed the ground. The other cat didn't seem to notice, he strode forward purposefully, his nose in the air.

"Here." The male cat padded forward towards the fern bush, stroking his nose down the spine of one leaf. "Just as Branchfur said."

"Eaglestar, what's that smell?" the she-cat asked tiredly. Her kits were coming soon, she could feel it. She sniffed at the fern and her breath caught in her throat. "Eaglestar, is that…?"

Her question was answered as Eaglestar reached into the center of the bush and lifted a small bundle of brown fur. The kit was limp in Eaglestar's teeth. The she-cat's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Oh StarClan…"

"Branchfur had a vision that we'd find something of great importance in this part of the Tallpines, Fogtail. I believe this is what she meant," Eaglestar mewed thoughtfully after he had set the sleeping kit on the ground. Fogtail looked at the kit, her eyes full of surprise and worry. She ambled closer to the ball of messy fur and gently brushed it with her rough pink tongue.

"You'll take care of it, right?" Eaglestar asked suddenly, referring to the kit. Fogtail looked up and suddenly smelled her leader's fear scent.

"Where do you think its mother is?" she asked instead of answering Eaglestar's question.

Eaglestar kneaded his paws almost impatiently, "She was probably a rogue," he mewed. "Perhaps there wasn't enough milk to feed the kit."

"But we don't know for sure," pressed Fogtail skeptically. "Rogues will attack the camp if they find out we've taken one of their kits."

Eaglestar's tail lashed from side to side, Fogtail had gone a bit too far. "I never said its mother was a rogue, I was just answering your question. Look…Fogtail," his voice softened a bit, "I know you're about to have your first kitting, and you're a bit scared, but this kit _needs _you. It will _die_ without you to help it. Besides, Branchfur had a vision about this kit, and she told me to bring you with me when I found it. That must mean StarClan _wants _you to be the mother."

Fogtail looked at Eaglestar for a heartbeat, then turned her gaze to the small kit. The small animal looked only a week old. It shivered in its sleep, and its stub of a tail wrapped around it. Fogtail felt a softness plant itself in her heart.

But she had to know something. She looked up at Eaglestar's amber eyes, "Eaglestar…" she paused for a moment, wondering how to phrase her question. "Why do you want to let this kit into the Clan? You should be just as suspicious as I am."

Fogtail was sure she saw a flicker of guilt in her leader's eyes. "I just don't want it to die," he answered.

Fogtail felt a flutter of impatience in her chest. That wasn't the answer she'd wanted. She opened her mouth to rephrase the question but Eaglestar was already standing on his four paws. "Look, are you going to take it or not?" his eyes told the soft gray she cat she'd better make her decision now.

A soft breeze ruffled the fur on Fogtail's swollen belly. She could sense the kits moving inside of her. How many would she have? Would it be too much to raise another?

There was a soft mew from the kit. Its scrawny tail uncurled itself. It mewed again and started to wiggle towards Fogtail's paw. The pregnant she cat bent down and inspected the kit more closely. The thin creature was a female, with light brown fur, like the bark on a tree.

Fogtail knew she wouldn't be able to turn the kit away. Tenderly, she bent down and nosed the kit affectionately. "We'll have to get back to camp if we want her to make it," Fogtail mewed briskly. She looked up.

Eaglestar's ears lay flat and he licked Fogtail's shoulder gratefully. "Thank you," he mewed, his voice relieved.

Fogtail shrugged, not wanting Eaglestar to see how quickly her heart had melted for a kit she had just met. She bent down, and picked up the kit, but she winced at the squeamish feeling in her stomach. "I'm fine," she insisted to her leader's worried face. "I've been dealing with a swollen belly for moons, this is nothing. Really!"

"Well…okay," Eaglestar mewed hesitantly. "Let's go." He turned and motioned to Fogtail with his tail and disappeared into the brush. The young queen followed with stubborn determination.

As she struggled through the forest, a thought came to Fogtail. Why would StarClan tell Branchfur, the Medicine Cat, that there was something of great importance in the woods, while it was against the Warriors Code to steal from other Clans, even Rogues. Why would StarClan want ThunderClan to break the Warrior Code that had been used for generations?

Fogtail shivered. She knew that there was more to the kit than what Eaglestar had told her. But why would Eaglestar lie about something like this? Fogtail took a deep inhale, trying to smell the kits fur, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, only the smell of the forest, and the kit's own fur.

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**A/N: Well, that's the prologue! What do you think? REVIEW. Contructive critisism is great. This is early morning, my only time for Zelda videogames, so gotta go!**


	2. Chapter 1: The Dream

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I finally came up with the first chapter! It didn't take me as long as I expected this time. Hope you like this chapter!

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**The Dream**

**Chapter 1**

_Six moons later_

Lichenkit crept across the forest floor silently. The kit's nose twitched as it took in the scent of the woods.She could feel the emptiness in her stomach, the yearning for meat. Soon, that would be taken care of.

Feeling the shadows glide across her fur as she padded forward, Lichenkit opened her mouth slightly. She felt the smells of the forest drift into her scent glands. Most of the smells were unfamiliar, but she did recognize one scent. Squirrel. Lichenkit felt her lips moisten at the thought of feeling the juicy meat crunching underneath her teeth.

Her brown and white fur blending in with the dirt, Lichenkit snuck forward, paw by paw. Soon, the brown creature came into view through the two bushes, only two rabbit lengths away.

Lichenkit sprang, propelling herself at the squirrel. The small cat landed on her prey and pinned it down with her paws. Easy.

She was just about to deliver a killing bite when something rustled in the bushes. Lichenkit spun around, her senses on alert. The squirrel immediately squirmed out of her grasp and climbed to the highest branches of a nearby tree.

A small growl rumbled in Lichenkit's throat. Without thinking she rushed at the bushes. Whoever had distracted her from her hunt would pay. Suddenly, something exploded out of the bushes, knocking Lichenkit backwards. Terror and shock froze her, and for a heartbeat she found herself looking into another cat's fierce amber eyes. The cat's scent hit the roof of Lichenkit's mouth, she retched and struggled against her attacker's hold. How had she not smelled him before?

The huge tom sneered at his tiny victim. "Do you really think you can overpower me, Lichenkit?" he growled, his eyes glinting cruelly. "Don't waste your energy. I've been watching you for a long time. I've been wanting to meet you for seasons now…"

Lichenkit opened her mouth and wailed as loud as she could. She felt her heart beating underneath her skin.

"Lichenkit! Wake up!"

Lichenkit's eyes flew open. The forest trees had been replaced by the spidery bushes that surrounded the nursery. The brown and white kit realized with a rush of relief and embarrassment that she had been dreaming. The skin under her fur burned as fiercely as the many pairs of eyes staring at her.

Lichenkit's mother, Fogtail immediately started covering her in reassuring licks. "It's okay, Lichenkit, you were only dreaming…" she murmured in her kit's ear.

"Wow, you're _still _having nightmares?" a voice jeered behind Lichenkit. "Are you sure your really six moons?"

Lichenkit spun around and glowered at her attacker. "Shut up, Wildkit!" she hissed. "Or I'll―"

"No arguing!" Hollypelt's voice was firm, but her eyes were soft with humor. "Please. We all get enough of you two bickering during the day. You two can tear each other apart tomorrow."

Lichenkit and Wildkit glared at each other. Wildkit's mother, Ashwhisker, flicked her tail and her son reluctantly padded to her side. "Wildkit, how many times had I told you to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing nice to say?" she scolded her oldest kit.

Wildkit opened his mouth to most likely protest, but closed it because he probably had nothing nice to say.

Lichenkit settled next to her mother's warm fur, fuming. That stupid Wildkit! If she were I warrior, she could claw his whiskers off.

"Are you sure you're okay, Lickenkit?" Fogtail whispered. "If you want some herbs from Rainsky we can go get some. I'm sure she'll have something to help you sleep."

Lichenkit shook her head stubbornly. "It's nothing I can't handle," she declared, more to Wildkit than her mother. There was no way she was going to blabber on about some dumb dream to Rainsky, the Medicine Cat. Plus, her brother and sister, Creekkit and Shadowkit, were staring at her.

There was a glimmer of amusement in Fogtail's eyes, but Lichenkit could sense the gray queen was sad about something. "You sound just like me when I was a kit," she mewed softly. "It's hard to believe your apprentice ceremony is tomorrow."

Lichenkit's ears instantly pricked up. The apprentice ceremony! Lichenkit couldn't believe she'd forgotten. She briefly remembered how restless she had been before she had gone to sleep. Lichenkit felt a bubble of excitement grow in her chest.

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Creekkit exclaimed. He had obviously seen the surprised look on his sister's face. "We're all gonna be made apprentices tomorrow!"

"Yeah! You, me, Creekkit, and Wildkit!" Shadowkit piped up, jumping to her feet.

Lichenkit flicked her tail in annoyance. Her two siblings had just voiced what she had thought about just seconds ago. "Of course I remembered, you mouse brains!" she retorted.

"Go to sleep, all of you!" Another voice groaned. It came from a ginger queen, lying on the far side of the nursery.

"Foxtail is right," yawned Hollypelt. "You all have a big day tomorrow, so rest up!" She rested her head on the ground.

Creekkit and Shadowkit were silent, and so was the rest of the nursery. Lichenkit snuggled against her mother's soft belly to go to sleep.

She looked at her brother and sister. Their dark gray coats blended in together perfectly, while her brown and white coat always stood out. Sometimes she didn't understand why her fur was a different color. _It's almost like I was borne to another cat… _she thought, laughing to herself.

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"Shadowkit! Lichenkit! Wake up!"

Lichenkit rolled over. "Go away, Creekkit," she murmured, half asleep. She felt Shadowkit shift next to her.

"Fine then," Creekkit scoffed gleefully. "I guess you two would rather stay kits than become apprentices."

Lichenkit was instantly awake. She jumped to her paws, her head whirling in excitement. Shadowkit scrambled to her feet, quickly shaking the sleep out of her eyes. "Right now?" Her eyes were shining.

Creekkit nodded. "Eaglestar wants us at the Highrock right now! Mom's there now!" With that, the dark gray kitten bounded out of the nursery. Shadowkit and Lichenkit rushed after him, leaving the rest of the nursery asleep in their nests.

A bright sun and clear sky greeted the three kits as they ran to the center of camp, where the great Highrock was. The day was still young though, and only a few cats were relaxing in front of their dens. Lichenkit spotted the two newest warriors, Rapidstrike and Streakfoot, sharing tongues in front of the warriors den. She also saw Fogtail, Ashwhisker, Wildkit and his three littermates, and Eaglestar waiting for them at the Highrock.

When Lichenkit and her two siblings reached the Highrock, Fogtail leaped forward and started to cover Shadowkit with brisk licks of her tongue. "Mom…" moaned Shadowkit, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Shadowkit, this is your apprentice ceremony. You have to look nice," argued Fogtail. She finished and started on Creekkit, who looked a bit embarrassed. When she was done, she moved to Lichenkit. Lichenkit noticed that Creekkit looked considerably smaller after his bath. She tried to summon an exasperated look, but she couldn't help but feel sad that after her apprentice ceremony, she'd have to give herself a bath. The kit tried to shove back her feelings, she had no reason to be unhappy now.

Fogtail finished Lichenkit and looked at her kits fondly, then she turned to Eaglestar. "They'll become some of the best warriors you ever set your eyes on," she declared, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Wildkit, too," chimed in Ashwhisker, licking her oldest son on the head. Wildkit's brother and sisters stumbled forward and pressed their fur to his.

"You'll become the best warrior there ever was!" one of them squeaked.

Wildkit purred and pressed his nose to the small kit affectionately. "Thanks, Grasskit." Suddenly, he looked up, and his eyes met Lichenkit's.

"Hope you didn't have anymore bad dreams last night," he mewed, his voice low. For a heartbeat, Lichenkit thought that he was really worried about her, but then she recognized the icy gleam in his eyes. The brown and white she-cat lifted her chest, feeling the fur prickle down her spine in fury.

"I slept fine. A kit like you probably wouldn't sleep a wink, though."

Wildkit bared his teeth. "You're the kit!" he snarled. The kits around him looked at Lichenkit with a confused look on their faces.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here underneath the Highrock for a clan meeting." Eaglestar's loud call from below the Highrock interrupted the two arguing kittens. Lichenkit turned her head, instantly forgetting Wildkit. The ceremony was about to begin.

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**A/N: Alright, that's the end of that chapter! Review! Do you think it's good? Horrible? Catastrophic? The best thing that's ever happened? Well, I won't know unless you review!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Ceremony

**A/N: Haha! Fast update! See, originally, THIS chapter and the chapter BEFORE this one was one chapter, but then THAT chapter was too long, so I had to break it in half, which was really HARD but I finally did it…yeah. –cough- Anyhoo, after this chapter I'll post the allegiances, since my four little kits will have their apprentice names and mentors…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors series.

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**The Apprentice Ceremony**

**Chapter 2**

Lichenkit watched as the cats sitting outside looked up, their ears pricked in interest. Some quickly padded over to the Highrock, while others slipped back into the dens to wake up their Clanmates. Soon, the whole clan was awake and assembled beneath the Highrock. Lichenkit felt scents drift into her nose, each of a different cat.

She scented Swiftclaw, the ThunderClan deputy. Lichenkit craned her neck and saw the pale gray she-cat approaching the Highrock, her muscles moving gracefully underneath her fur. Lichenkit also spotted Rainsky, her tabby fur moving in and out of the shadows. The Medicine Cat was still young, her mentor, Branchface, had retired about six moons earlier.

Eaglestar surveyed the crowd of cats. "We are here," he began, "to give these four kits their apprentice names." He motioned to Wildkit first. The gray kitten trotted over to the leader's side, his eyes glowing with excitement. "Cheetahfur." The brown tom's gaze landed on a pale ginger she-cat. "You are free for an apprentice. You will mentor Wildpaw."

Cheetahfur padded up to the Highrock, her eyes fond and proud. The warrior sat beside Wildkit. "Cheetahfur, you have proved yourself a clever and powerful opponent in battle. I know you will teach Wildpaw how to become an excellent warrior," meowed Eaglestar.

Cheetahfur nodded, leaned down and pressed her nose to the newly named Wildpaw. Lichenkit couldn't help but feel a stab of jealousy; Wildpaw had gotten his apprentice name first. She watched as Wildpaw and his mentor padded over to the other side of the clearing.

The next kit Eaglestar motioned to was Shadowkit. The black she-cat raced over and plopped herself next to the brown tom. "Streakfoot, you have informed me that you are ready for your first apprentice. You will mentor Shadowpaw," announced Eaglestar.

The same white she-cat Lichenkit had been looking at earlier rose and went to Shadowkit. Lichenkit's sister's whiskers twitched in anticipation.

"Streakfoot, you are a young warrior, but you already have proven yourself to be a superb hunter and tracker. I trust you will pass on these traits to your first apprentice," Eaglestar mewed, his voice low.

Streakfoot nodded, determination and happiness shimmering in her amber eyes. She dipped her head and touched Shadowpaw's nose, then the two joined Cheetahfur and Wildpaw at the end of the camp. Shadowpaw leapt up and down as she walked beside Streakfoot.

Eaglestar glanced at the two remaining kits, Lichenkit and Creekkit. Lichenkit held her breath, was she going to be next?

"Creekkit, come here." Eaglestar motioned to the dark gray kit, Lichenkit's ears flicked in disappointment. Creekkit scrambled to his feet and padded anxiously towards the leader. Eaglestar flicked his tail towards a tabby she-cat. "Pinecloud," called Eaglestar, "since Rapidstrike became a warrior, you are now ready for a new apprentice. You shall mentor Creekpaw."

Pinecloud stepped forward and settled next to Creekkit, her face calm and warm. "Pinecloud," continued Eaglestar, "you are known throughout the clans as a wise and peaceful cat. I expect you to pass on all your wisdom to this young apprentice."

A purr rumbled in Pinecloud's throat. "Of course," she murmured, then touched noses with Creekpaw. Then she led him to the other apprentices.

Eaglestar swung his head to Lichenkit and the brown and white cat felt her heart race. For a moment, she could have sworn that saw a look of longing in her leader's eyes, but went away so quickly she knew she was imagining things.

Eaglestar motioned to her with his nose.

Lichenkit stood up and walked towards her leader as calmly and maturely as she could. She sat next to him and stared at the side of the camp opposite of her, scared to meet any cat's eyes. She also felt strangely self-conscious. She was very glad that Fogtail had given her a thorough grooming.

"Ivysnare, you will mentor Lichenpaw."

At Eaglestar's call, Lichenkit had to force her eyes to keep still. She was desperate to get a glimpse of her mentor, but didn't want to seem overeager. Finally, she let her gaze slowly inch over, and glimpsed a tan tabby tom coming towards her. He sat down, and Lichenkit noticed his eyes gleamed with kindness. So this was Ivysnare.

"Ivysnare, you have proven to be a smart and respectful warrior of ThunderClan. I hope you will teach Lichenpaw these skills." Eaglestar's eyes glowed with respect as he spoke to the tom next to him.

The tan tabby nodded, then he leaned down to touch noses. Lichenpaw arched her neck, and felt a rush of excitement as her nose touched his. She was an apprentice now! Ivysnare turned to join Wildpaw, Shadowpaw and Creekpaw, and Lichenpaw happily followed him. She felt as if her limbs were twice as powerful as she trotted beside her mentor. As Lichenpaw and Ivysnare sat next to Shadowpaw and Streakfoot, the air immediately filled with the voices of cats chanting their names.

"Wildpaw! Shadowpaw! Creekpaw! Lichenpaw! Wildpaw! Shdadowpaw! Creekpaw! Lichenpaw!"

Lichenpaw couldn't help but grin in pleasure. Shadowpaw and Creekpaw were wiggling in excitement, their whiskers twitching. Wildpaw looked very pleased.

Among the crowd of cats congratulating them, Fogtail pushed her way through the crowd. She pressed her nose to all of her kits. "I'm so proud of you all," she whispered, her eyes misty with pride. "Pinecloud, Streakfoot and Ivysnare will be superb mentors."

Lichenpaw felt her fur glow underneath the sun. She pressed her pelt to her mother's. "I'll miss you," she murmered.

A purr rose in Fotail's throat. "Pretty soon we'll be sharing the warrior den together," she replied. "Here, your mentors can show you the apprentice den."

Lichenpaw nodded. She felt her heart soar as she heard the cats shouting her new name. She gazed at clear blue sky, and felt for once that she could fly up and touch the clouds if she wanted to.

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ThunderClan

Leader: **Eaglestar--** dark brown tom with amber eyes

Deputy: **Swiftclaw**-- light gray she-cat; green eyes

Medicine Cat: **Rainsky**-- tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Warriors: (toms, and she-cats without kits)

**Ivysnare-- **tan tabby tom

**APPRENTICE, LICHENPAW**

**Dirtpelt-- **dark brown tabby tom

**Cheetahfur-- **pale ginger she-cat; green eyes

**APPRENTICE, WILDPAW**

**Pinecloud-- **dark brown tabby she-cat

**APPRENTICE, CREEKPAW**

**Blackfur--**jet-black tom with amber eyes

**Streakfoot-- **swift, white she-cat with brown feet

**APPRENTICE, SHADOWPAW**

**Fogtail-- **gray she-cat with white patches

**Rapidstrike-- **black tom with white spots

**Falconclaw-- **brown tabby tom

**APPRENTICE, CRICKETPAW**

Apprentices:(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)

**Lichenpaw—**light brown she cat with white patches

**Wildpaw—**dark gray tom with black patches

**Shadowpaw—**black she-cat with amber eyes

**Creekpaw—**tom with dark gray coat

**Cricketpaw—**light tabby she-cat

Queens:(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)

**Ashwhisker—**very dark grey coat

**Hollypelt—**tabby with green eyes

**Foxtail—**ginger she-cat

Elders:(former warriors and queens, now retired)

**Cloverstalk- **golden brown tabby tom with ripped nose

**Finchclaw- **brown she cat, partially deaf

**Branchfur- **light brown she-cat; former medicine cat; blind

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**A/N: There ya go! The chapter AND the ThunderClan allegiances, all in one package. Review! REVIEW. REVIEW! –waves arms around maniacally- **


	4. Chapter 3: The Training

**A/N: **Hey, everyone! Sorry that took so long. –mutters something about writer's block and vacation- Anyway, I actually made it to the third chapter of a story! Yay me! So…here's "The Training"!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Warriors series…-sob-

**The Training**

**Chapter 3**

"…and this," explained Ivysnare, "is the Owltree." The large tabby flicked his tail at the lone tree that stood towering above Lichenpaw. The newly made apprentice stared into its dense leaves, and felt a pang of excitement. The thrill of the apprentice ceremony still lingered, even though it had been the day before. This was her first training session with her mentor.

"Can we climb it?" she asked, wondering what it would be like to look out on the forest through the tree's topmost branches.

"No." Ivysnare shook his head. "There's a reason this is called, 'The Owltree'. Smell."

Lichenpaw lifted her head obediently and sniffed, then had to resist snorting. A horrible stench had shot up her nose. _What _was_ that?_

Ivysnare's whiskers twitched in amusement. "That was owl pellets you smelled," he replied to the apprentice's unspoken question. "Owl's don't make dirt like cats, they spit out pellets." Ivysnare dug under the dead leaves circling the tree and came up with a small, round object in his mouth. "Like this one," he explained, his voice muffled by the pellet.

Lichenpaw nodded slowly, trying to remember each word Ivysnare had told her. She tentatively took another whiff of the pellet, so she could keep in mind what the smell was. Lichenpaw had already assumed that an owl lived in this tree, and knew Ivysnare probably didn't want to disturb it. She remembered the stories Fogtail had told her about owls, and shivered slightly. The strange birds woke at night, swooping noiselessly from the sky and carrying off stray kits.

Ivysnare put the owl pellet back under its blanket of leaves and looked at her sympathetically, obviously noticing her distress. "We can't climb the Owltree, but if it makes you feel good, we can always go to the Great Sycamore if you'd like it," he suggested. "Falconclaw mentioned taking his apprentice, Cricketpaw, there—perhaps we can join them."

"Okay!" agreed Lichenpaw, feeling the ominous feeling disappear as if the slight breeze had blown it off her shoulders. The thought of training with the eldest apprentice, Cricketpaw made her fur tingle in excitement.

"Good." Ivysnare bounded towards the direction of camp. "Follow me!" he called back. "We'll stop off at camp on the way there."

Lichenpaw followed him, keeping pace with him as well as she could. The muscular tabby led her back through a cluster of thinning oak trees. Lichenpaw noticed that the leaves growing out from the branches were now shades of mahogany and red. Leaffall was on its way, she realized. The brown and white apprentice felt a rush of thrill; it would be fun to see all of the trees in different shades and colors besides the usual green.

Lichenpaw followed Ivysnare across a small river that flowed towards the Fourtrees. After they crossed it and had walked back into the forest, Ivysnare stopped. "Tell me what you smell, Lichenpaw," he told her.

His apprentice sniffed. "Um…I smell, ew, something bad, like fish or something."

Ivysnare nodded. "RiverClan," he explained, flicking his tail towards the scent, "we're not far from their territory. Just remember that scent, or you could end up crowfood if they find you in their boundaries. What else do you smell?"

"Some kind of animal…vole, I think."

Ivysnare nodded again. "Good. We won't hunt now when we're so near enemy territory, but we'll have to before we enter camp. Let's go."

When Ivysnare and Lichenpaw appeared at the camp entrance, they each had some prey in their mouth. Lichenpaw held a mouse, and Ivysnare had a thrush clenched in his jaw. Ivysnare had caught both animals, and Lichenpaw could help but feel a pang of disappointment that he hadn't taught her the proper hunting technique for prey.

The two cats padded towards the center of camp, where the fresh-kill pile was. As Lichenpaw looked around, she felt a rush of pleasure that she was a bigger part of the Clan now. She saw two warriors named Blackfur and Dirtpelt sitting together, sharing tongues. Rainsky was with Ashwhisker outside the nursery, examining one of her kits closely. On the far side of camp, Lichenpaw spotted Eaglestar and Swiftclaw discussing patrols.

Ivysnare and Lichenpaw both added their prey to the pile of fresh-kill. Lichenpaw eagerly grabbed a vole; it had been torture to walk all the way to camp with the smell of fresh meat up her nose. As she savored the delicious food in her mouth, she noticed a cat was coming towards her. It was Streakfoot.

"Hello." The young warrior dipped her head respectfully when she reached the two cats. She turned her gaze to Lichenpaw. "You're Lichenpaw, right? Shadowpaw's sister?"

Lichenpaw swallowed her fresh kill. "Yeah," she answered, wondering what Streakfoot wanted with her.

"Have you seen her lately? I was going to go out training with her, but…" the white she-cats voice trailed off and her eyes filled with worry.

"Um, no, I haven't. Sorry." Lichenpaw felt pity wash over her for the older cat. Why couldn't Shadowpaw ever be there when she was needed?

"We can help you look for her, though," Ivysnare added in, finishing off the mouse he was eating.

"Oh, no, that's not necessary." Streakfoot shook her head. "You two have training to do; I can just get Rapidstrike to help." She turned and bounded over to where her brother was resting outside the warrior den.

"Where do you think she could be?" mewed Lichenpaw, eating the last bit of meat off of her vole.

"I don't know," replied Ivysnare. "If Shadowpaw isn't found by sunset, Eaglestar will probably send out a patrol to look for her. It's probably nothing to worry about."

"I know," agreed Lichenpaw. _Knowing Shadowpaw, _she added to herself, _she's probably out trying to hunt foxes._

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Lichenpaw lifted her nose and drank in the scents. "I smell them!" she exclaimed, pleased with herself.

Ivysnare purred. "Excellent. The Great Sycamore should be only a couple badger lengths away."

Lichenpaw felt excitement bubble in her chest. She looked up, and saw the sun was beginning to set. The diminishing light shone through the forest, making the leaves around the two cats glow amber. The air around them was getting cold, and Lichenpaw was glad she had a fur coat to protect her.

Mentor and apprentice began to pad forward, but then there was a rustling in the clump of bracken in front of them and a light brown tabby cat jumped out. For a heartbeat, Lichenpaw froze in horror, but then realized the cat smelled of ThunderClan.

"Hi, Ivysnare!" chirped the newcomer happily, her eyes bright. Lichenpaw realized the cat was only a couple moons older than she was, was this Cricketpaw?

"Hello, Cricketpaw," meowed Ivysnare, acknowledging the pretty tabby apprentice. "I heard you and Falconclaw were going to practice climbing at the Great Sycamore."

"Yeah, we decided to do some hunting first," explained Cricketpaw. "Why? Were you going to join us?" The apprentice looked around and seemed to finally notice Lichenpaw. "Hey! You must be one of the new apprentices! You're one of Fogtail's kits, right?"

Lichenpaw nodded, feeling shyness prickling at her paws. She was unable to meet the older apprentice's eyes.

"This is Lichenpaw," introduced Ivysnare, nodding towards his apprentice. "You saw her at the ceremony yesterday."

Cricketpaw's eyes were friendly as she dipped her head towards Lichenpaw. "Congratulations! I remember _my _apprentice ceremony…I was nearly jumping out of my fur!"

Lichenpaw laughed, she already felt a bit more at ease with this friendly she-cat.

Cricketpaw turned her attention back to Ivysnare. "Falconclaw's probably waiting for us at the Great Sycamore," she told him.

"Good. Follow me." Ivysnare motioned to the apprentices with a flick of his tail, and they followed him through the undergrowth. In a couple heartbeats, the group stepped into a clearing, and Lichenpaw felt her breath catch in her throat.

In front of her stood the largest tree she had ever seen. Its deep brown limbs were nearly six foxlengths long, each one reaching upward towards the sky. Lichenpaw stared at the magnificent tree, wondering if a cat could reach StarClan by climbing to the top.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Lichenpaw turned to see Cricketpaw seated next to her. "Incredible!" she whispered, her amazement evident in her voice.

"Perfect for climbing!" the tabby she-cat added, looking at the tree herself for a moment. "C'mon, Falconclaw is waiting for us." With that, she turned and followed Ivysnare, who was trotting towards the base of the Great Sycamore. Lichenpaw tore her gaze away, and trailed Cricketpaw, feeling enthusiasm rushing through her fur.

"It seems as if Falconclaw isn't here," noted Ivysnare. "We can just—"

As he spoke, the fern bush ahead of them rustled, and a sleek tabby tom immerged. He noticed Cricketpaw, Lichenpaw and Ivysnare and bowed respectfully. "Hello, Cricketpaw. Sorry I took so long; the prey seemed to always know I was coming." He turned his head and washed his shoulder, and then he turned to Ivysnare. "Ivysnare! Hello to you, too. What brings you here?" His eyes moved to Lichenpaw. "You're here to train aren't you? Lichenpaw, is it? I'm Falconclaw."

Lichenpaw dipped her head. "Hello, Falconclaw," she murmured.

"That's right," replied Ivysnare. "Lichenpaw and I are here to practice her climbing. We were planning on joining you."

"That's great! We can always use more cats to train with," Falconclaw purred. "Ready to begin, Cricketpaw and Lichenpaw?"

"Ready, Falconclaw!" Cricketpaw quickly faced her mentor, her eyes glimmering with excitement. Lichenpaw tried to copy her stance. Her stomach was flopping around like a live fish.

"First of all," Ivysnare began, "what are the uses of climbing trees?"

"Escaping," Cricketpaw answered promptly, "from foxes and badgers—stuff like that."

"Good." Ivysnare nodded approvingly. "Lichenpaw, you've climbed trees before, right?" he asked, turning towards his apprentice.

"Oh yeah," responded Lichenpaw. She, Creekpaw and Shadowpaw had all been taught the basics of tree-climbing by their mother. "Lots."

"Excellent." Falconclaw flicked his tail, looking pleased. "So let's see what you can already do." The tabby lifted his gaze, scanning the branches of the Great Sycamore, then he leapt onto the tree, and clawed his way to one of the lower ones. "Try to reach me!" he called, settling down on the branch.

Lichenpaw focused herself, and then she rushed forward and started to scamper up the tree as fast as she could. She felt a breeze ruffle through her fur, and couldn't help but let out a purr of happiness.

Suddenly, a strange smell flowed through her. Lichenpaw stopped, looked around and felt herself freeze in horror. She was no longer on the Great Sycamore. Instead, she stood on a small patch of dirt, the space all around her pitch black. Lichenpaw thought she felt the darkness closing in on her, and felt fear fluffing up every hair on her pelt.

"Ivysnare?" the terrified apprentice squeaked. Her voice trembled uncontrollably. _Oh StarClan! Am I dreaming? But how can I dream when I'm not asleep? _"F-Falconclaw? Cricket—"

She was cut off when her ears caught the sound of pawsteps. Lichenpaw felt her own paws instinctively try to run, but they were frozen to the ground. Panic welled up inside of her, and she yowled as loud as she could. "_Help_!"

The ThunderClan apprentice heard a hiss. Her heart nearly stopped. She looked forward, and saw the barest hint of a cat's shadow. Lichenpaw stepped backwards, her ears flattening against her head.

The cat stepped forward into the light, and stared at her, an evil glint in his eye. "Hello," he snarled. Lichenpaw's breath caught in her throat.

It was the same cat in her dream.

Then, her paws could move. Lichenpaw dashed blindly away from the cat, energy flooding through her. She had to get away from him, even if she lived in pitch dark forever.

Suddenly, the darkness melted away. Shock was all Lichenpaw felt as she crashed into the ground, her paws crumbling underneath her.


	5. Wisppaw

**Disclaimer: **I don't own a lot of things. Warriors is one of them. I apologize for the inconvenience.

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_Wisppaw sunk her claws into the cool wet dirt. She sniffed the air tentatively, drawing in the scents of the moorland. It had rained yesterday, and dark gray clouds still haunted the skies, but the sun shone through, casting bits of light upon the seemingly endless plain._

_Around her, everything was quiet. Leafbare was nearly upon WindClan, and even though it was uncommon for rabbits to appear in harsh weather, Wisppaw had expected there to be some prey to come out of hiding and nibble on the fresh grass. Wisppaw closed her amber eyes and swiveled her ears, desperate to catch even the slightest sign of life. Something was wrong, she knew it._

_The small, silver tabby glanced around, a tremor of worry coursing through her. _Come on, Wisppaw, _she told herself. _Think. What could cause all of this? _She knew that her mentor, Moortail would want her to consider everything. _

_The eight-moon old apprentice determinedly padded across the wind-tossed field. If she could find some clues to what happened, perhaps she could figure out what had happened on her own. Despite the tense air around her, Wisppaw felt a bit excited that she might be playing a crucial part in solving an important mystery._

_Suddenly, a vile scent shot up the kitten's nose. "Yuck!" she spat, her head jerking towards the source. Her eyes widened in shock. A pile of blood and fur lay mangled on the ground. On closer inspection, Wisppaw realized it was a dead rabbit. Carefully, the tabby circled the body, wondering what cat in their right mind would kill a rabbit and leave it to rot._

_Wisppaw forced herself to walk closer to the rabbit, and sniffed it more accurately. Another smell mingled with the smell of death. The scent of cat. _

_It wasn't a WindClan cat, and feeling the fur on her back prickling, Wisppaw realized that it wasn't RiverClan either, or even ShadowClan. There was only one other explanation…_

_Wisppaw felt horror shoot up her spine. She had to get back to camp. Now. The apprentice whirled around, and ran forward, barely feeling the grass underneath her. Then, in a split second something collided into her, smashing Wisppaw into the ground. _

_The silver cat squirmed under the weight pushing her down. She looked up, and gasped. A huge, muscular black tom glared down at her. "Going somewhere?" he hissed. Wisppaw's fur stood on end. She couldn't move._

"_Let me go!" the WindClan apprentice tried to sound threatening, but her voice squeaked with fear. _

"_Aw, poor thing." Another cat stalked into view. Her icy-blue eyes glinted with contempt. "Don't worry. This will be over in a heartbeat." She leaned closer, and raised an unsheathed claw up to Wisppaw's neck. The silver apprentice's mind went blank._

"_Let go of her!"_

_A black ball of fluffed up fur crashed into the black rogue, and he releasing his grip on Wisppaw's neck. Two moons of hard warrior training took over the silver tabby and she leapt upwards, slashing at the second rogue's face. The brown tabby hissed furiously, and batted a paw out at the apprentice, cuffing Wisppaw's head and making her fall over._

_Blinking away the spots that flashed before her, Wisppaw rolled to the side just as the she-cat pounced. The WindClan apprentice jumped to her paws and tackled her opponent to the ground. She leaned forward and bit the rogue's collarbone as hard as she could, but the tabby easily flipped herself over, pushing Wisppaw into the ground. "Oh, please." The rogue's eyes flashed. "I've fought squirrels tougher than you."_

"_They must've been pretty tough squirrels, then," hissed back Wisppaw. The small apprentice lifted up her hind feet and slashed the underside of the other tabby. Blood flew everywhere, turning the ground beneath them scarlet. The rogue yowled in pain and reared backward. _

_Feeling anger rushing through her, Wisppaw jumped to her paws and lashed outwards at her opponent. Her claws skimmed the tabby's shoulder, and the cat let out a piercing screech._

_Another yowl made Wisppaw look over to the other side. Two black cats were locked in combat, snarling and biting at each other. With a jolt, Wisppaw recognized the cat that had saved her. "Shadepaw!" she called out, and raced forward to help the fellow apprentice, but at that moment, the tabby rogue tackled her from the side. _

"_I can't let you out of here alive. No cat must know of our plans," she spat, looking down on Wisppaw, her ice-blue eyes filled with spite. The apprentice struggled, but she could smell the desperate hunger and hate in the cat's breath. The rogue's rock-hard muscles held her captive down._

_Suddenly, more snarls filled the air. A familiar scent burst into the silver kitten's nose. Wisppaw twisted her head around, relief flooding her. The long-haired rogue started, her eyes widening in fear. She jumped backwards and slowly back away from Wisppaw, her eyes trained on something on top of the moor hill. Her fur stood on end. The black rogue did the same, his amber eyes squinted in anger._

_Wisppaw scrambled to her feet and whirled around, surrounding her was a group of four muscular cats. One cat stepped forward, and Wisppaw immediately recognized him. "Moortail!" she cried out, and ran to his side. Shadepaw followed her, but she noticed he was limping._

_Moortail, the deputy of WindClan gave his apprentice a brief, worried look. Then he turned towards the two cats below him. "What are you doing here, Blacktooth?" he hissed._

_The skinny black rogue bared his teeth menacingly and snarled, "WindClan will one day be covered in your blood, Moortail!"_

_The light brown tom's whiskers twitched, but his face remained emotionless. "You didn't answer my question."_

"_Oh, sure." It was the she-cat who spoke this time. "Wouldn't you like to know?"_

_One of the warriors broke formation and rushed forward, her ears flat against her head. She thrust her head into the defiant tabby's face. "You seem to forget we can rip your face off with one claw swipe!" she growled. The other she-cat bared her teeth, but there was a flicker of fear in her eyes._

"_Quiet, Grasspelt." Moortail shot the hot-tempered warrior a stern look. Grasspelt reluctantly stepped back, her gray tabby fur bristling. Moortail turned his gaze back to the two trapped rogues and spoke, "Tell us what you're doing here, or you'll both become our prisoners. I'll give you one more chance."_

_Suddenly, Blacktooth lunged and tackled one of the WindClan warriors to the ground. The warrior screeched and struggled, but Blacktooth held on. Quick as the wind, the tabby rogue leapt over the two fighting cats and disappeared into a clump of bushes. Blacktooth immediately let go of his captive and followed her, barely dodging the WindClan cats that flung themselves at him._

"_No!" cried out Wisppaw. The apprentice watched as the warrior cats dashed into the bushes after the rogues. She jumped forwards, ready to give chase, but Moortail held her back._

"_You're injured," he pointed out. "You need rest. Other cats can handle this mission."_

"_Yeah, Wisppaw," Shadepaw added. "You almost got killed. Here, I'll help you get back to camp." He flicked his tail, signaling her to follow as he trotted towards camp. Wisppaw sighed. She wished she could join the hunt for the two rogues, but she had to admit Shadepaw and Moortail were right. _

_As Wisppaw looked up at the setting sun, she realized she hadn't gotten to be a hero after all.

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**A/N:** Hey, guys! Sorry, it always takes me this long to update. I kind of ran out of ideas, so I didn't know what to happen next. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry if it was a bit confusing. You will find out what's happening throughout the story, I _promise._ Review!


	6. Author's Note

**A/N: Okay, okay, don't get excited. This isn't a new chapter, I'm sad to say. No—this note is _loooong_ overdue. I know (or hope, at least) that there are people waiting for the chapter to come out, and I feel bad that I haven't exactly been very regular about updating. I'm here to say that I probably won't even get to writing another chapter until summer. My life is pretty hectic, with school and all, and I haven't been able to focus on Lichenpaw completely for a long time. All I'm saying is: don't expect me to update until school is out. I apologize for the delay.**


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